Songs, Movies & Moments: December 2015

A Look at Entertainment

by T.J. Moore

Former NBA player Lamar Odom has made miracle-worthy progress since he was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel in October.

After emerging from a medically induced coma, Odom has been making progress, though the brain injury has presented mobility and communication challenges. In a recent appearance on Ellen, Odom’s formerly estranged wife Kloe Kardashian revealed that the details of Odom’s incident have not been revealed to him for his protection.

“We tell him he had a brain injury, I can’t tell him how that brain injury was cause because it will set him back,” she said.

Despite being off of the machines that are helping his organs to function, Odom has a long way to go and may not ever be the same again, regardless of medical efforts at a full recovery. He’s learning how to walk and feed himself again, and is struggling to put sentences together. According to People, Odom’s ongoing issues have been attributable to “oxygen deprivation” and the multiple strokes he suffered following the overdose.

Although a full recovery isn’t completely out of the question, a source close to Kardashian claimed that Odom “will likely need significant help completing everyday tasks for the foreseeable future.”

Deion Sanders and Pilar Sanders.

Somewhere NFL legend Deion Sanders is dusting off one of his famous high-stepping touchdown dances. Why? He recently won more than two million dollars in his defamation case against ex-wife Pilar Sanders.

An attorney for Sanders told TMZ that the hall-of-famer feels “a great sense of relief and vindication in getting a $2.2 million judgement against Pilar after she alleged in interviews and web posts that she was a victim of domestic violence.

According to TMZ, the money that the ex-Mrs. Sanders now owes Deion offsets any money he would have paid in their divorce settlement. Pilar Sanders’s attorney is planning to appeal.

Sherri Shepard

Former View co-host Sherri Shepherd recently lost her court battle against her ex-husband Lamar Sally. For two years, Shepherd said that she should not be responsible to pay child support for a surrogate baby.

Before she and Sally ended their marriage, a surrogate was already carrying a baby for them. The two-year-old child will receive $4,100 in child support from Shepherd and she’ll remain on his birth certificate.

Sally was happy about the outcome of this ruling. “I’m glad it’s finally over,” Sally told People. “I’m glad the judges saw through all the lies that she put out there, and the negative media attention. If she won’t be there for L.J. emotionally, I’ll be parent enough for the both of us.”

Al Roker

Today show co-Anchor Al Roker filed a complaint after getting passed up twice by a New York taxi. Taking to twitter to air his grievances, Roker wrote, “This happens to folks of color every day. And while most cabbies do their job, there are those ignorant, racist ones who hurt the others.”

Taxi and Labor Commission Chair Meera Joshi responded to the weatherman’s claims via the New York Daily News: “Service refusal goes to the core of the taxi industry’s social contract with the riding public and it will not be tolerated. We’re grateful that Mr. Roker took the time to file a complaint and I can assure him that we will investigate this thoroughly and take every appropriate action.”

Tyra Banks and the cast of Fablife.

Fablife has been on the air for only two months, but show creator and host Tyra Banks has called it quits. According to various reports, Banks was unhappy with the direction of the show, and will concentrate on her personal endeavors.

“I will be devoting more time to my new, growing cosmetics company, TYRA Beauty, which is expanding faster than anticipated, as well as overseeing my company’s other entertainment ventures. I will, however continue to support the growth and success of FabLife and greatly admire my fellow co-hosts and the talented production team behind the show.”

According to the New York Post, Banks isn’t totally quitting the show, saying that she will “occasionally” appear on the show until the end of the first season, but won’t return if the show is renewed.